Why I choose to be happy and why you should

There are times that I feel half-empty deep inside. There are times when I’d ask myself, what am I doing with my life. I think it is a universal thing for us to question our existence, to have doubts about ourselves, and to be filled with whys and why not.

You don’t have to be succumbed by failures to break down and say I can’t do it any longer. Even when you are at the top, you sometimes wonder if it was worth all the struggles and how are you supposed to continue. The truth is that we are born to doubt because that is the very reason why we have evolved as a species. To question our very existence is enough to tell us that we exist. And perhaps the most profound struggle of our existence is the search for happiness.

Happiness is one of the very things that all of us crave for. Sane or not, we all have the desire to feel satisfaction, to feel contentment, to be filled with joy and happiness. We all want to be happy or to think that we are happy. So why is it that some people are all but hatred, anger, and sadness? Why is it that somehow it is difficult for others to smile? Will the world become a better place if there is no suffering and it’s all just merrymaking and fun?

I’m sorry to say but I’m not here to answer those questions. The reasons I have crafted this short snippet of thoughts is because I want to tell you why I choose to be happy and why you should. Let me start with my story.

I grew in an impoverished family (And today, I’m still poor). My parents work hard just to meet the daily ends of life. We’ve been to times where we ate only once in a day. We’ve been to times where there was nothing but water to quench our thirst and relieve our hunger. We’ve been to times where we’d place buckets to catch the dripping rainwater coming from the holes in the dilapidated nipa roof of our small house. I could go all day to tell you about our poverty-stricken life but then that is again not the purpose of this piece.

It is with this impoverished background that I started to develop my old view on happiness. I’ve started to compare my life with others. I’ve set benchmarks to my happiness. I thought that in order for me to be happy I must have the luxuries of life. I thought I must be successful to be happy. I thought that I should be like this and like that to be happy. My definition of happiness has been attached to things to material stuff.

Ten years forward, I now think that for me to see happiness that way is one of the greatest blunders of my life. I realized that it was a mistake for me to equate happiness to being successful sans failures. That happiness is all about being rich with material things. That it is about merrymaking and fun.
I realized that happiness is about contentment. More importantly, it ain’t about having benchmarks but not having one. You don’t need to have a scale to be happy. What you need is the ability to appreciate what you have – to see the greatness in the things around you.

Whether we like or not, there is always someone who is in a better position than us. We could be at the apex of our career at some point but in a snap, it can go downward spiral. Uncertainty is the only thing certain in life. So to say that you can only be happy because of this or that is totally absurd. You can be happy if you choose to. You can be happy if you feel contentment. You can be happy if you remove resentment in your heart.

Don’t compare, don’t put benchmarks. Instead, learn to put value in the things around you. And more importantly, treasure the relationships you have. People may come and go in your life but the thought of having someone journeyed with you is worth a thousand smiles. And remember that the only thing stopping you from being happy is yourself.

Two things that truly define happiness: contentment and appreciation. If you learn to appreciate and if you settle the scores within yourself and stop comparing or putting benchmarks to your life, I see no reason for you not to be happy.

So here are the three reasons why I choose to be happy. (1) I choose to be happy because I can. (2) I choose to be happy because I have to. (3) I choose to be happy because if I’m not the world won’t stop and wait for me to draw a smile.

So why should you choose to be happy? Here are three reasons. (1) You should choose to be happy because you can. (2) You should choose to be happy because you have to. (3) You should choose to be happy because if you don’t the world won’t stop and wait for you to draw a smile.

Let us all fill our souls with contentment and appreciation and surely we will be happy. And again remember that happiness is not about having benchmarks but not having one.

Read More

The sound of death

A cousin rushed to inform us that Romnick, our neighbor, is about to face the repercussion of his sins. 

We hid at home and listened to the audible footsteps of the cops who are going to “tokhang” our young neighbor. A few moments of deafening silence followed as cops walked towards their house. We did not dare to see how many cops were there as we have secured ourselves knowing that there is a possibility of fuss. From our home to Romnick’s abode, you will be passing five houses, our house, the houses of two of my aunts and another house owned by Romnick’s brother. Considering that our house has plywood walls, we know that we were also in imminent danger should the police and Romnick exchange fire. We were calm, but deep inside I know that all of the family members are worried.

It did not take that long before we heard four gunshots followed by the wailing of a woman. That woman was Romnick’s live-in partner. She begged for the life of her husband, but there was no stopping on the police operation. We thought it ended that fast, but then we heard another gunshot. In less than 5 minutes, Romnick is now reduced to a lifeless body. He is nothing but dead. 

Our hearts were beating fast, and our bodies were trembling. It was like we were inside those news reports of witnesses and their accounts of the drug-related killings of today. To others, it was just one of the EJKs to curb the rampant drug trade in our country. But to us, it was an EJK just five houses from where we live. It was an EJK that was scary enough for us to reconsider house renovation. It was an EJK that befall to a neighbor we thought was the most pious among his siblings.

Romnick’s brothers and family are famous in our place for the suspense and drama they have displayed through the years. There was one time when a brother in combat mode chased an elder brother with a bolo. There was one time when the youngest brother destroyed the Utility Pole and hit their mother causing the poor old lady to lose her left eye. There was one time when the daughter of the wife of one of Romnick’s brothers and the said brother got into a heated argument. The girl stated that she was molested by the new live-in partner of his mother while she was asleep. It was a frenzy of expletives coupled with a series of stone throwing. 

As you can see, Romnick’s family is famous enough because of their doing. When it comes to Romnick, it was actually different. We never saw him cause disturbance or menace in the neighborhood. We never saw or heard of him being in conflict with anyone in the area. He seems to be the pious one among the brothers. We thought he was the rose among the thorns. We were actually wrong. Romnick indeed was a drug pusher. In fact, one cousin of mine who has been battling drug addiction confirmed that he was able to buy drugs from Romnick. Indeed, some wolves are dressed in sheep’s skin. 

People started to gather, and the inaudible gossips of the chismosas and chismosos began to roll out. I went out of our house and looked towards the direction of Romnick’s house. There was a sizeable crowd, and one media outlet was able to send a TV reporter. Romnick’s wife was still crying. The police were already gone, and operatives have started to process the crime scene. It did not take that long before the onlookers began to dispel. A few hours later, it seems like everything has gone back to normal.

When it comes to what happened that night, all I can remember is the sound of death. Five gunshots that claimed the life of someone I know. Five shots that ushered fear among us who were there.Five shots that sealed the story of a drug pusher. Five gunshots that confirmed how staying away from drugs can extend one’s life. And five gunshots which showed to us that sometimes to rid the society of evil, extreme measures need to be executed.

Read More

Snappy, the dog who saved my life

Once in a while, we are tested by life itself. If we triumph and succeed, we become better. But if we let the bitterness of the moment drag us down, we will be blinded by hatred… by feelings far worse than death.

“Jim, let me go with you. I wanna join your practice game.”

“Sure… we need a watery boy”

“Well, if you want someone as good as Kobe Bryant as your water boy, then I’m in.”

“Hahaha… You wish”

When people say ball is life, they usually are not that serious about it. But for our family, ball really is life. My father is a retired professional player who once represented the country in the Olympics. My mother is a courtside reporter during her younger days. Now, my father is a coach and my mother is a sports columnist. Their sons, Jim and I, are part of our respective school’s varsity team. Yes, we really love the game, but sometimes what you love can break your heart.

“Kevin, you hurry! Your brother was injured. He has been rushed to the hospital.”

These were the words of my father when he called to inform me about the demise that got my brother Jim. It has been three years since that awful afternoon. When I get to see the crutches that have become part of my brother’s daily living, I cannot stop but curse life for being too bad for him. I myself have stopped playing basketball despite my parents’ disapproval. I hate the game more than ever. I don’t want to let my brother see me inside the court because I don’t want to add more to his sufferings.

When I see my brother pretend that everything is okay, I feel so much disgust. I don’t know but I guess, more than him, it was me who blames the game for what he is right now.

“Kevin, your coach called that you can still catch up for the next season. He said that you are very much welcome to return to the team.”

“Mom, let’s not talk about this again. You know my decision…”

“Well… Just reconsider. By the way, check your room. I have a surprise there for you.”

I was excited when I heard this. I thought mom finally gave me the latest gaming console I was asking. Actually, when I stopped playing basketball, I became addicted to computer games. These games are better as there is no chance that I’ll get injured.

“Wow… a dog!” I exclaimed as I really have been asking my parents for a dog also, but they have been reluctant to give me one.

When I went to see my new pet, my excitement turned into disgust.

“What is this… why are they giving me a crippled dog? Is my brother not enough of a reminder to me of how miserable life can be?” I shouted in disgust.

At first, I did not mind about the crippled dog. The thing looks to me was a failure, a thing that is hopeless. I don’t want to offend my parents, so I just let the dog stay in my custody. The crippled dog would come close to me, trying to get my affection, but my heart and mind have been fixed. It is a useless dog. There even came timed when I would forget to feed the crippled dog for days. But then everything changed one afternoon.

I was at my desk writing a report for school when a golf ball on top of my desk fell and rolled on the floor. The crippled dog ran fast and bit the ball and bumped on my foot. I took the ball and threw it far and the crippled dog brought it back again. This was the start of my affection to the crippled dog. At that moment, I realized that the dog deserves not of condemnation or of pity. A crippled dog does not make it any lesser as a pet. The crippled dog changed me. I realized that if I dwell on the imperfections and forget about everything, it’s not the world that’s failing me, but me failing the world. We live in an imperfect world, and it is with these imperfections that we are able to appreciate more of its beauty.

Now, I and Snappy are close as ever. He is not just my dog, but also my savior. I have now returned to playing basketball and got way closer to my brother. I realized that the world does not end with every failure, with every lost opportunity. In fact, there is always a reason to be excited for tomorrow.

Read More

Assimilation of Filipino English in the Philippines

You may have learned about Carabao English, American English and British English but surely Filipino English is something new to the ears of many. In fact, one can sometimes doubt if such entity actually exists. This paper brings a concise discussion on the origins of Filipino English and how applicable or realistic it is in the current society of the Philippines.

The Origin of Filipino English

As with American English being a bastardization of British English, the Filipino English is somehow a bastardization of American English. The development of a new variety of English in the Philippines is said to have primarily occurred due to the colonial history and linguistic background of the country. (Kirkpatrick 2007) Walking back through time, the Philippines was once a colony of the United States and for a couple of decades, the primary medium of communication in the Philippines is not one of the native tongues but English. As to how the bastardization occurred and how blatant it may have been, there’s no concrete answer. 

The very first massive introduction of English to the Philippines occurred in 1901 when 540 US teachers used the language as a medium for instruction in schools. The English-medium education has then started a swift change in the linguistic development of the Philippines. Moreover, the American English that it brought has been indigenized, expounding the vocabulary by adapting terminologies from local dialects and modifying pronunciation and grammar. (McArthur 2002) Perhaps, we can say that this triggered the creation of what is now known as Filipino English. 

Only in Filipino English

The website 8list.ph listed some terminologies that are unique to the Filipino English speakers that you can check here. These are just few of the unique slangs of Filipino English. It is noteworthy to know that these are cognitively embedded to Filipino speakers with out them knowing it. These are product of cultural diversity, societal transformation and other things that have been influential to the use of English in the Philippines.

How extensive is Filipino English?

As of today, there is a limited literature which tackles Filipino English. Most of the current works are much focused on bilingualism in the Philippines and extrapolating on the nature of the English speakers of the country is relatively not something that is studied properly. As to how extensive Filipino English is, we might be able to extract substantial guess from other researches. 

The results of the survey of Social Weather Stations in 2006 showed that more than a quarter of the Philippine’s population claims to have the ability to understand, speak and write English well. (Bautista, et. al. 2009) With a higher rate of literacy, one can speculate that there is a great tendency for people who are not well accustomed to the English language to used barbarized terminologies or slangs to compensate for their inadequacy. 

As English is used as a primary medium for business, education and governance in the Philippines, Filipino English is presumably on larger schema that what we might be thinking of. Whether it is extensively used or not, it surely is there and it is something that is global in scope. 

A Bid for Better English

While nothing is wrong with Filipino English, this paper strongly believes that we must start building the standards of this (new) form of English to ensure that it will stay as efficient and well-aligned with other “customized English languages” across the globe. Being young as it is, Filipino English is evolving and becoming something that is global as the Philippines becomes a power hub for English speaking workforce. It is something that has given this nation an edge among its neighbors. As we know that languages are infinitely evolving, we must always be ready to make Filipino English a superb and eloquent one.

References

• Tom McArthur, The Oxford Guide to World English. Oxford University Press, 2002
• Andy Kirkpatrick, World Englishes. Cambridge University Press, 2007
• Walter Ang, 8 Instances of Filipino English vs. American English. 8list, 2013 (retrieved from http://8list.ph/american-english-vs-pinoy-english on June 22, 2014)
• Ma. Lourdes S. Bautista and Kingsley Bolton, Philippine English: Linguistic and Literary Perspectives. Hong Kong University Press, 2009

Read More

The Last Man Standing

Sun rays are striking straight to my skin as I get to walk another mile to reach the demilitarized zone. It has always been like this ever since the great nuclear disaster of 2020. The explosion which was able to wipe out 95% of the human population is still haunting the entire world as mutant animals and high level of radioactivity makes everyday living a nightmare. I was one of the lucky few who have survived the explosion. Working as an underwater scientist, we were having a deep water exploration in the pacific when the accident did occur. I can barely think how chaotic it must have been atop the ocean.

“Beep Beep Beep”, my phone started ringing.

“Hello Lieutenant X775A! You are directed to proceed to the laboratory of biological studies.” a synthesized voice said on my radio.

“What nightmare shall we face this time?” I asked myself.

Ever since we abandoned earth and decided to establish a settlement on the surface of the moon, we have been visiting it to check for signs of human life, but what we have found for the last 10 years are mutant animals possessing mutated characteristics. A fish with feathers swimming in the ocean floor, a dog with x-ray vision, a rat as big as a 3-storey building and a carnivorous tree - these are few of the bizarre things we have found on earth. Out team have scanned most of the places, but we have found not a single human who was able to sustain under such amount of radiation.

“Hey Lieutenant X775A!” lieutenant X346Q greeted, “I have been anticipating your arrival.”

“What’s the fuzz all about?” me asking Lieutenant X346Q.

“We are tracing some abnormal microbial activity near the pacific ocean.” my lady partner uttered.

“What now?” I exclaimed, “We have been tracing such activity in the past. I was thinking of some new findings regarding our search for human life.”

I was a little bit disgusted to hear it, but my interest was caught after seeing the satellite images. A big pit filled with corpses of dead mutant animals. I was even surprised to see that the imagery was taken from a group of island on the western board of the Pacific Ocean. The nuclear disaster which did occur 20 years ago happened there. So if this is a sign of survivor, how did they survive?

The chief of the settlement ordered us to conduct investigation on the event. Earlier, a robotic fleet was sent to gather specimen from the pit. It is 1800H and we decided to conduct survey the next morning. Feeling a little bit uneasy, I decided to check the specimens.

“I am examining specimen A-01 from the pit. It appears like the genetic structure of the specimen is somehow similar to that of a water buffalo but with some genetic modification.” me recording my voice.

While my eyes were on the ocular of the microscope, the sound of the alarm has brought me to a state of panic. (What is wrong?) I immediately rushed to the command center to execute certain protocols.

“Sir, our engines are destroyed. The power center is damaged and we are currently running on back-up.” Lieutenant X346Q reported.

The uneasy feeling I have been hiding all this time is starting build up on my face. I can feel that something is wrong. I went to check the surveillance video and was startled by the scenes I came across.

“Attention Command Center this is lieutenant X775A. I am sending some footage regarding the inflicted the damage on our ship.” I voiced over the radio.

“This is Command Center; please inform your captain that your ship is placed on a Code Red status. You cannot proceed nor do any action without authorization from the Command Center. Do you copy that?” The command center officer said.

“Yes sir, copied.” I replied.

I was just about to report to the captain when my surrounding went black. I am not able to see not even a single drop of light. The image of a child levitating and throwing some metal like pieces to machine was flashing in my memories. I was worried that the child entered our ship and that he is about to kill us all. With so much fear in me, I manage to find my way back to my quarter where I have my personal emergency kit. Having grabbed the flashlight, my next move was to load my laser beam shooter with ion rods.

Kaboom! The sound of a big explosion has demobilized me as I nervously see the flame rushing straight in front of my eyes. Before it gets to burn my body; I was able to grab a large sheet of metal, probably debris coming from the explosion, just in time to secure me from the scorching heat. In no time, the flame started to subdue and I was forced to drop the flaming hot metal I was holding earlier.

By the time the metal landed on the floor, I started seeing the silhouette of a child. This has brought me so much terror that I grabbed my laser beam and started shooting towards that direction. It’s getting closer to me and I can now barely see the face of an innocent child. Who is this kid and why is he doing this to us? The leaser gun got depleted but nothing has happened. I was in a close distance from the child and was filled with terror.

“Why did you leave us?” The child started crying.

No matter how much I struggle to utter words, my lips are incapacitated to do so. I was in a state of total shock. Though filled with fears, I grabbed the child and hugged him. I was then crying and memories from the child’s past started flashing in my mind.

“Lieutenant X775A can you hear me now?” a strange female voice asked me.

“Who are you and what is this place?” I replied.

I later found out that I was actually lying in a hospital bed back on the moon settlement. The nurse informed me that I was the only survivor rescued from the mission sent to earth. This has caused me so much sorrow that it felt like my heart was bleeding. Why have I not just died? I started recalling fragments of memories from what has happened to me and I then realized what happened that very moment I hugged the child.

Days have passed and I have fully recovered. I was tasked to report to the investigation committee regarding the mission. I will tell them what happened and what I have found out about the world. I want to shed light to the mysteries of the nuclear disaster 20 years ago.

As I was about to speak I get to remember the last few words of the child.

“...Mistakes of the past can no longer be corrected. If you want to help us down here, do it by commemorating the past and making sure that it shall not happen again. You can salvage this world and find us, but let me tell you this - Your quest of finding the last man standing will not make the sacrifices of a large part of the human population serve its purpose. You continue living for us, that’s all we ask.”

I decided to respect what the child has delivered in a collective thought for the people down there. In front of the investigation panel, I made my explanation short.

“What exists down there is a product of our past mistakes. Finding and knowing more about them will only aggravate the sorrow of their hearts. The earth may have our past, but living in the past is surely not good. Let us move forward and make sure that the sacrifices they have made will shed to a better human civilization.”

I walked out from the investigation room full of hope, reformed and ready to forget the past to look for the better future.

Read More